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No.
Unauthorized immigrants are not eligible for federally or state-funded health coverage in Wisconsin.
That includes Medicaid, Medicare and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and coverage purchased through the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) marketplaces.
Unauthorized immigrants also are not eligible for Wisconsin Medicaid or BadgerCare Plus.
Fourteen states, including Illinois and Minnesota, use state Medicaid funds to cover unauthorized immigrants, but Wisconsin does not.
Democratic Gov. Tony Evers on Dec. 5 vetoed a Republican-backed bill that would have banned public money from going toward health care coverage for unauthorized immigrants.
Republicans said the bill was meant to be pre-emptive.
On Dec. 10, Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, who is running for governor in 2026, incorrectly said Evers’ veto allowed unauthorized immigrants “to continue to get taxpayer-funded health care.”
When Evers vetoed the bill he criticized it for “trying to push polarizing political rhetoric.”
This Fact Brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
- Wisconsin Watch Do tens of millions of unauthorized immigrants receive federal health benefits?
- Wisconsin Health Services Department Medicaid: Health Care Coverage for Noncitizens
- Wisconsin Watch Are unauthorized immigrants eligible for federal Medicaid coverage?
- WPR Evers vetoes bill to block Medicaid funds from undocumented residents
- Wisconsin Legislature Assembly Bill 308
- Rep. Alex Dallman Testimony in Favor of Assembly Bill 308
- Gov. Tony Evers Veto message
- Wisconsin Watch Here are 8 claims related to health care and immigration … and the facts
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